


Study Habits

by Megahashi



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Dork Korra, F/F, Jock Korra, Korrasami - Freeform, Korrasami is Canon, Nerd Asami Sato
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-16 19:17:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8114302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megahashi/pseuds/Megahashi
Summary: Asami doesn't have time for fun and frivilous things. She just wants to pass her classes, graduate, and start her career. That is until a wrench is thrown into her plans. An attractive wrench named Korra.





	1. Off to a Great Start

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy the college au inspired by my own ridiculous experiences and antics. "How not to graduate on time"

The day started off like any other, warm and bright as if summer was trying to make the most of what little time it had left. Early September always felt like a transition, not quite summer and not yet autumn.

To match the weather, Asami had picked out a sleeveless cotton button up, its crisp whiteness pairing nicely with her pleated maroon skirt. She sat in front of her mirror and pulled back her hair from her face, allowing a few tendrils to fall gracefully from the tie. Then with practiced hands she began her morning ritual of putting on her makeup. She powdered her face, lined her eyes, penciled her brows, and finally applied a shade of lipstick that was just subtle enough to pick up the color of her skirt.

Her routine complete, the girl went downstairs and ate a light breakfast, checked her bag to make sure she had everything that she needed, grabbed her keys, and drove off to the first day of her freshman year at Capital City University.

Nearly all of her classes went by without a hitch. She introduced herself to each of her professors after the usual first day lectures and exchanged generic pleasantries. She knew though that they were probably already aware of who she was. Future Industries was an internationally known corporation and there was nowhere in the world where the Sato name was more well-known than Capital City.

As a young, beautiful socialite, Asami Sato had near celebrity status. People stopped her in the streets to ask for selfies, her social media following was in the hundreds of thousands, and she occasionally made the front pages of tabloid magazines. When she and her ex-boyfriend, Mako, broke up, the media storm that he was pelted with almost made her feel sorry for him.

Almost.

Despite all of this, she mostly kept to herself, only interacting with her fellow classmates in the lecture hall or in study groups. It was easier to keep people at a distance without having to guess at their intentions or wonder whether or not they had ulterior motives. And besides, it wasn’t like she had any time for friends with a grueling eighteen credit schedule. Dating was even further out of the question.

It was only when she got to her last course of the day that things went downhill.

Her chemistry class started out like the rest. She entered the lab relatively early; the professor had yet to arrive. People slowly shuffled into their seats, some pausing in the doorway to check if they knew anyone else in the room before finding a place to settle down.

Asami found that she recognized no one and for the first time, in a long time, she hoped that no one recognized her either.

That hope was quickly dashed when she noticed a guy off to her right slyly trying to take a picture of her. The idiot was attempting to act like something on his phone was suddenly very interesting.

It was the flash that gave him away.

When the flustered student realized the grave mistake that he had just made, he dropped his phone out of embarrassment. Secretly, Asami willed screen to shatter. But when the guilty party bent over to pick it up, she saw that it had survived unscathed.

 _Damn_.

After she shot the now bright red boy a scowl that could have made him piss himself, she scanned the room to check for any other looks of recognition. Luckily, most of her classmates seemed to be captivated by the immature antics of two students in the back.

A very large man, whom she guessed was a football player by the jersey he wore, had his elbow rested on the table and his massive hand wrapped around that of a girl shorter in stature than even herself. The two were locked in an intense battle of will and strength.

An arm wrestling contest.

Though the girl was very muscular, the footballer’s arms were the size of tree trunks. But despite the difference in their sizes, she noticed struggle on both of their faces. Their biceps flexed with strain as each competitor fought to push the others knuckle’s to the table.

 _How was this chick still holding her own_?

It was then that she allowed herself to take in the other woman’s appearance.

Her hair was pulled back into an unruly ponytail that, despite its messiness, Asami decided suited the girl. Her skin was rich and tan, much darker than her own. The olive shade along with her dark brown hair made her crystal blue eyes all the more striking. Asami’s gaze leisurely worked its way over her body, starting at the already bulging bicep wrapped in some sort of tribal tattoo. Her stare wandered down to the woman’s strong shoulders, her taught stomach, and finally her thick thighs.

 _God she was ripped_.

The tight tank top and form fitting leggings she wore left nothing to the imagination. Asami wondered what it would feel like to run her hands over the girl’s chiseled abs which she was sure were there.

And with that thought, a red hot blush spread across her face.

As time wore on, the back of the tan girl’s hand slowly started inching towards the flat plane. The rest of the students began to chant in anticipation. Asami could see the confidence growing in the man’s eyes. In a premature act of victory, he looked up into the face of his challenger with fatal overconfidence. Almost instantly, his expression turned from a self-assured smile to a grimace of pain as his hand was slammed onto the table.

His cockiness had given her an opening.

It all happened so quickly that the loser had to look up and down at his own hand several times before his brain could finally comprehend the event.

With a giddy yelp and a shit eating grin, the victor jumped up onto the lab station, raised her hands above her head in victory, and shouted.

“Korra for the win! Suck my d....”

It was at that moment that Professor Tenzin finally showed up. He stood stock still at the entrance, immobilized by shock and disbelief. Complete silence settled over the class.

As if things could not get any worse, a large beaker jostled loose by the careless girl's leap fell to the floor with an echoing crash. The container shattered into a million pieces and glass was sent sliding across the floor in all directions. Still standing on top of the table, Korra quickly jumped down and squeaked.

“It wasn’t me.”

 _This was going to be a difficult class_.


	2. Class Clowns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Bolin are brotp-ing it up while Asami's patience is tested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a lot of good feedback from the last chapter and hopefully i can keep the ball rolling.

Over the course of the next week, Asami had learned quite a few things. Unfortunately, most of them had little to do with her education.

She learned that Korra was the captain of the women’s soccer team. The muscles made more sense now.

She learned that Korra was a marine biology major. That made no sense judging by her approach to academia.

And finally, she learned that Korra did not possess the ability to whisper.

That woman was on her last nerves.

Every day since the arm wrestling incident she and the football player, who from their conversations she figured out was named Bolin, sat in the back of the class messing around. The two athletes seemed to be able to talk about anything and everything as long as it had absolutely nothing to do with chemistry.

There had been several times when Asami had contemplated turning around and sending her textbook flying straight at the mouth of her infuriating classmate if only to shut her up for a few seconds.

_How could someone so attractive be so goddamn annoying?_

Sitting in class attempting to take notes, she thoughtfully drummed her fingertips over the hard cover of her reading material. The violent fantasy was all too tantalizing.

_Would it be worth it?_

She could see the headlines now, “Chaos in Chemistry Class: Socialite Sato Murders Fellow Student.”

_Just remember, there’s no Wifi in prison._

Asami sighed as another wave of laughter echoed behind her. Try as she might, it was hard to ignore her raucous classmates.

“Dude look at the circles underneath the prof’s eyes. He looks like he’s been up all night,” said Bolin with a crude wink.

“It’s probably because he has a newborn that screams all night,” Korra responded.

“Or maybe it’s because you’ve been making him scream all night.” This time he followed his comment with a playful shove.

“Nah bro, I haven’t had the time since I’ve been fucking your mom.” Korra shoved him back nearly knocking him out of his seat.

For a second Asami had to check if her retina had detached from the intensity of her eye roll.

“Well as long as you treat her right.”

“Don’t worry, I think it’s getting serious. We’re looking at houses and everything.”

“You’ll make a wonderful step-mom.”

Another roar of laughter. This time Asami couldn’t help but let out a small giggle and she hated herself for it.

Distracted by their conversation, Korra and Bolin failed to see Professor Tenzin walking up behind them. When he cleared his throat, they almost knocked their heads together as they quickly whipped around.

“Today, class, we are going to choose partners and begin working with the lab equipment. You are free to pair up as you like.”

Both athletes let out a tandem sigh of relief. Luckily, he had approached them late in the conversation. But just as they were about to high five each other, the professor dampened their moods once more.

“I can’t believe I have to take action like this in a college classroom,” said Tenzin pinching the bridge of his nose, “but I am separating you two. You are not allowed to be lab partners. For the sake of myself and everyone else in this class, I do not want you two near each other and a Bunsen burner at the same time.”

The look of pure disappointment that melted onto their faces brought Asami the tiniest bit of satisfaction.

“Bolin, you will be partnered with Opal.”

When the boy turned around to face his new partner, he had to swallow hard to keep his jaw from dropping.

“I am completely okay with this decision,” he managed to say once he was able to breathe again.

“Really dude? Come on,” said Korra.

“Hey, it’s called chemistry for a reason. Maybe you’ll luck out too,” Bolin said still giddy with delight.

“Korra, you will be partnered with Miss Sato. Hopefully, she will have a good influence on you.”

This time Korra’s jaw dropped, and not in a good way.

“Her? Please Tenzin anyone but her!”

“Here on campus you will address me as professor. And my decision is final.” With that, he walked back to his desk.

Bolin turned to Korra and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“She can’t be that bad.”

“She’s been rolling her eyes at me for the past week like I wouldn’t notice. Not to mention that she dresses like she _owns_ a country club.”

“Stop being so dramatic. Now I’m going to go introduce myself to the future mother of my children.”

“Jesus Christ, keep it in your pants.”

“No promises.”

He almost skipped away, leaving Korra to her own devices.

Asami was just out of earshot for the second half of the conversation. Students were moving around to partner up and the increase in noise made it hard for her to hear. She wouldn’t have been paying attention at all if they hadn’t kept looking over at her.

As she strained to listen, the boy who had tried to snap a picture of her on the first day approached.

“Um I was wondering if maybe you would mind being…”

“Keep walking,” Asami snapped. She was still not used to the feeling of being photographed without her permission, yet alone in what she perceived to be a semi-private space. Her anger was still seething.

The boy skulked off with his tail between his legs.

She again wished that she could have started the class off in anonymity.

 _You should have known better_.

Professor Tenzin finished up talking with Korra. She looked even more disappointed than before.

She turned and began to walk in Asami’s direction.

_Is she headed towards me? Why would she be coming towards me?_

The darker woman stopped in front of her and stuck out her hand.

“Hi, my name is Korra. I don’t think we’ve officially met. Tenzin said your name is Asami.”

“Wait, you don’t know who I am?”

“No…should I?”

The two women stared at each other for a few seconds in confusion.

Asami recovered and returned the handshake, “I suppose not.”

“Well, I’m your new lab partner.”

_So that’s what they were talking about._

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too, I guess.”

They walked over to their lab station.

 _Maybe this won’t be so bad_.

When they settled down, Asami asked the question again out of shear disbelief.

“So you really don’t know who I am?”

“You know the more you keep asking that, the more full of yourself you sound.”

_Never mind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so that was really cheesy. Unfortunately, yes people are still this immature in college.


	3. Lab Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they've been forced together, Asami and Korra are going to have to learn how to work with eachother if they want to pass. At this point, they'd rather fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get really wet really fast. No, that statement does not need context.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, the two women fell into a begrudging routine. They showed up, took their seats next to each other, and worked in almost complete silence save for when they had to do a partnered project. The days went by. Though Korra still thought Asami was a stuck up rich kid and Asami thought Korra was an ass, they grew to tolerate each other. But only just.

Today was a dreaded lab day. They would have to work in close quarters with one another and actually acknowledge the other’s existence. Times like this could be…tense.

Currently, the two were hunched over the lab station trying to work with some chemicals on top of the Bunsen burners. Their experiment was not going well.

“Could you maybe breathe in a direction other than my face?” asked Asami.

Truthfully, she liked the way Korra’s exhalations felt on the back of her neck. Warm and steady, they tickled the flyaways she could never quite tame in a pleasantly playful manner that she unwillingly allowed herself to enjoy.

“Well excuse me princess. Am I not worthy enough to breathe in the same air as you?”

“Maybe if you weren’t so full of hot air, you would be.”

Asami arched her eyebrow to emphasize her displeasure.

A muscle in Korra’s jaw twitched ever so slightly. She could have started a fire the way she was grinding her teeth.

 _Oh boy, this is going to be good_.

The reaction she received was the opposite of what the emerald eyed girl had expected. Instead of getting upset and snapping back or even conceding defeat and backing off, the tan woman took a different approach.

A small smirk curled at the corner of her mouth as she turned around to lean against the counter. In doing so, she edged uncomfortably close to her lab partner.

Asami froze.

Korra lifted her head just a bit to whisper into the taller woman’s ear, close enough that her breath warmed the other's ear.

“If I knew you thought I was hot before, I would have done something about it.”

_What. The. F….._

Before she could even finish her thought, the beaker in front of her exploded, snapping both her and Korra out of their intimate conversation. The sprinklers overhead instantly came on and doused the entire classroom in a cold shower.

Asami didn’t have to turn her head to know that every single member of the class was now staring in her general direction.

“Everyone out. Now!” the professor nearly screamed.

Tenzin was as red in the face as the Firelord’s throne room. And his anger burned just as hot.

The students quickly shuffled outside, murmuring quietly amongst themselves while trying to figure out exactly what had happened.

To make matters worse, people from other classes were filtering out to see what was happening in the hallway. The next thing they knew, someone pulled the fire alarm.

Asami wanted to die.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By the time everything was over and sorted out, the whole building was evacuated, the fire department showed up, and the dean made an appearance to make sure his campus had not gone up in flames.

Standing outside in the crisp September air had done nothing to calm down the burnt out professor. He was at his wits end.

“Korra, I swear on the Great Lion Turtle I don’t know why I agreed to let you take my class.”

“Tenzin, I’m really sorry but…”

Tenzin raised his hand to stop her.

“I don’t want to hear any excuses. And how many times do I have to tell you that in an academic setting, you need to address me as professor?”

Korra opened her mouth to protest but the weary look on the older man’s face caused the words to die in her throat.

“I apologize professor. I will try to be more professional in the future.”

He let out a deep sigh. The way in which he was massaging his temples in hard, tight circles made Korra wonder how he hadn’t yet worn holes in his skull.

“We will discuss this further when you get home.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the circus of an incident was cleared up, the young student headed towards the gym. The first thing she did was retrieve a dry set of clothes from her locker. But as she peeled off her soaking wet top, Korra decided what she needed was a scalding hot shower.

And off to the stalls she went. She had already been in there twice today after both of her soccer practices, but she figured one more rinse wouldn’t hurt. Her rubber sandals squeaked on the damp concrete floor and the sound echoed off of the bare tile walls. From the near silence, she could tell that she was alone.

Turning the knob marked with a red ‘H’, she was greeted with a torrent of boiling water that bordered on the edge of being painful. The warmth washed the tension out of her shoulders and sent it cascading to the floor. Korra moaned in pleasure.

Now relaxed, she began to mull over the events of the day.

_What the hell had she been thinking?_

Asami had been particularly annoying today. That woman was absolutely grating. The way she showed up every day perfectly pressed and poised, despite the fact that it was an evening class, got under Korra’s skin for some reason.

_Who puts in that much time and effort in their appearance?_

Since they were working with chemicals today, Asami had ditched her usual skirts, dresses, and heals for a pair of skin tight black leggings and leather boots. To match, she wore a dark green shear top underneath a grey tweed blazer. Korra, on the other hand, had on her favorite sweats.

She couldn’t help but remember how well the pale woman’s shirt complimented her eyes or how her pants followed the curve of her hips in a way that caused something to twinge in Korra’s lower stomach. She refused to admit that she had noticed this when Asami reached for something high in a cabinet allowing her jacket to inch slowly above her backside or even worse, when the woman had been bent over the table.

She also refused to admit that when Asami had made her first rude comment, she had been absent mindedly taking in the girl’s scent. Inhaling, she had registered sweet vanilla and lilac and just the smallest hint of motor oil. That was surprising. So when the socialite mentioned something about Korra’s breathing, she was afraid she had been caught.

Her eyebrows pulled together at the thought and she turned her face up towards the steaming faucet.

_Had Asami noticed?_

Her thoughts returned to the moment when she had decided to flirt. Her first reaction had been to let the woman know what a pretentious bitch she was. But when she noticed her lab partner’s painted red lip move between her impossibly white teeth in an attempt to bite back a triumphant grin, she knew she had to take another approach. She couldn’t have asked for a better reaction.

Asami’s face had somehow turned a paler shade of white and her entire body had gone stalk still. Her eyes widened in a confused panic like a child who’s had their face smashed into a birthday cake. Korra’s only regret was that she wasn’t able to take in the other woman’s embarrassment for longer.

The tan woman smirked to herself once more.

Her shower took her back to the sprinklers in the lab.

When the water started to come down from the ceiling, she couldn’t help but stare. The drops flowed from the woman’s jet hair and pooled in the indentation at the center of her long neck before following the lines of her collarbone. As if Korra was able to bend the water with her mind, it then flowed down the slope of her chest and into the gap between her breasts. It quickly soaked through the thin fabric of Asami’s blouse to reveal what was a very lacy black bra.

Hours after the fact, Korra’s face reddened in embarrassment.

She began to feel hot, uncomfortably hot, and it wasn’t the shower.

She could feel the streams of water running down the curves of her body, much the same way it had earlier for the other girl. In her mind, she imagined what it would feel like for Asami to trace those same pathways. First the neck, then her shoulders, down her back, around her hips, and finally slipping delicately between her legs.

Korra’s eyes shot open and her hand fumbled for the knob. She nearly slipped in the process and had to brace herself against the wall. For a few moments after she cut the water, she stood alone in the locker room stall panting and trying to push out the upsetting realization from her mind.

_Oh. My. Fuck. I’m falling for a straight girl._

And with that thought, she switched the shower back on.

This time she made sure it was as cold as the arctic tundra that she was raised on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, does anyone else need a cold shower after that? Me too Korra, me too.


	4. Family First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra deals with the implications of her actions and some of her home life is revealed. Baby Rohan makes an appearance so stay tuned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very fluffy and gives some context. I thought yall could use a little cool down after last chapter.

A sudden gust of autumn wind pushed past the heavy oak door as it swung open. The sharp chill stood in stark contrast to the pleasant warmth of the interior. As if the house itself was trying to battle the cold, the door turned on its hinges to seal out the seasonal draft. And before the girl could turn to react, it shut close with a resounding thud shattering any chances of her sneaking in undetected.

_Shit._

“Korra, is that you dear?” came a matronly voice from the other room.

“Yeah, Pema, it’s me,” replied Korra.

Pema took note of the girl’s downtrodden tone. No matter how tired or stressed out Korra was, she almost always came bounding through the entry way with a smile on her face and a joke on her lips. The mother stopped what she was doing and walked around the corner.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

Pema looked absolutely exhausted. Pieces of hair that were freed from her bun stuck out in all directions and a fresh, orange stain adorned her shirt. Whether it was food or its aftermath, Korra could not tell. Having four children was no light burden, especially when they were as hyperactive as hers were. Even now as little baby Rohan sat on his mother’s hip, he was fussing with both her necklace and her hair. But despite her chaotic state, the older woman was able to afford the kind of smile that only a mother could give. 

And Korra couldn’t help but return the courtesy.

“It’s just been a long day. Completely off topic, has Tenzin come home yet?”

_Please, spirits, please don’t let him be home._

“No, he called to say he’s working late tonight. Something about having to dry out a stack of paperwork and refile it. He probably spilled his coffee again.”

 _Thank Raava_.

“Yeah…that’s probably it,” Korra said trying to hide her shame.

“But seriously sweetie, what’s on your mind? Don’t think I’m going to drop it so easily.”

Pema leaned in and stroked her tattooed arm in knowing reassurance. She took a step closer which allowed the infant to reach out and grab onto the girl, his mother’s necklace still in his mouth.

The young woman smiled in amusement and gave in.

“Okay fine. Rohan, come here,” she said as she transferred him from Pema’s arms into her own. “Let’s go help your mom with dinner and we can spill our guts. By the looks of her shirt, you already did.”

Pema put her hands on her hips in feigned indignation.

“I will have you know that this is baby food. Sweet potato to be exact.”

“Before or after he ate it?” Korra teased.

Pema looked down at the stain, shook her head, and laughed in defeat.

“I don’t even know with this child anymore.”

The three made their way into the kitchen. Whatever the woman was cooking smelled absolutely heavenly. The rich, savory scent permeated the entire room. It was a miracle that the whole neighborhood wasn’t lined up at the window to see what was for supper. Hopefully, it would taste as good as it smelled and would cure Tenzin of his bad mood whenever he got home.

Korra took a seat at the counter and sat the baby down on the surface in front of her. When the little boy stretched out his arms and made grasping motions, she enveloped his tiny hands in hers.

“I’m going to eat these chubby hands of yours. Nom nom nom.”

Korra was greeted with a chorus of giggles as she pretended to nibble on his fingers.

“Look how cute you are! You got your mother’s looks, kid,” teased Korra. Another round of laughter from the baby, though he didn’t understand a word she said.

“And you’re so lucky you don’t have your father’s hair.” As she spoke, she spiked the soft, thick mop on child’s head into a limp Mohawk.

A hardy chuckle was let loose, this time from in front of the stove.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Korra, but you need to stop stalling.”

The girl gently thumbed the infant’s fingers in her palm as she considered her options.

She took in a deep breath, ending in a long, stretched out sigh.

 “Fair enough. But I’m warning you ahead of time, this may take a while.”

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The tired professor got home long after the sun had gone down and night had fallen. He was not particularly happy about it.

Tenzin had spent most of the evening sifting through the soggy mess that befell his desktop. Hair-dryer in hand, he was attempting to salvage what papers he could. About every five minutes or so, he was interrupted by one fellow faculty member or another each taking a crack at making bald jokes.

The worst was when the coach of the college’s football team decided to drop by.

The football coach who also happened to be his brother.

“Holy horse-cow, I never thought I’d see you holding one of those things again!”

_For the love of all things good and pure…_

The older man stepped from the hallway into the disaster that was now the lab.

“I mean, do you even remember how blow-dryers work? It’s been _so_ long since you’ve had to use one. They come with all sorts of settings and attachments nowadays.”

“Bumi, I swear on father’s grave!”

“Hey, don’t curse the old man just because he gave you his baldness and I got mom’s luscious locks,” he said flipping back his dark, shoulder length hair.

Tenzin set down the hair-dryer and leaned back in his chair. He alternated between rubbing the space between his eyebrows and the sides of his head.

“I have had a very long, very stressful day and I do not need this right now.”

“Calm down, little brother. I came to help you clean up this crime scene. Remember that time back when I was going to school here and decided to throw a party that got _a little_ out of hand?”

Tenzin’s shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

“Yes, but ‘a little’ is an understatement.”

“And remember when you helped me clean up the mess and nurse our dear, hungover sister back to sobriety before mom and dad got back?”

He picked up his head.

“I vaguely remember having to force Kya to drink Pedialyte and coffee and hauling some of the furniture back indoors before the sprinklers came on.”

“Well, I said I’d owe you one,” Bumi said with an impish grin. “And I always keep my word.”

Tenzin let out a small laugh.

“You’re only about forty years late.”

“Better late than never! But before I make good on my promise, you have to make one of your own.”

He approached the request with hesitation.

“What do you mean?”

When his brother put on a more serious demeanor, the professor cocked an eyebrow.

“Please, just go easy on her. She’s a good kid and she means well.”

For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Tenzin sighed.

“You and I both know how heavy it can be to carry that kind of parental expectation on your shoulders. She needs some guidance or she’s going to crack under all of that pressure.”

Carefully, the academic considered his brother’s words. Out of habit, he stroked his beard while he thought.

Coming to a decision, he slowly dropped his hand from his chin and crossed his arms across his chest.

“I know, Bumi, I know. I will try to have more patience with the girl.”

The dark haired man smiled.

“Now let’s get to it. I have a debt to repay.”

After finishing the job and bidding his brother goodnight, Tenzin wearily walked home. The house was less than a block away from campus, perfect for any professor with a family. In fact, many of his neighbors were also his co-workers. As he rounded the street corner and his front porch slowly began to come into view, he started to think about the talk he was going to have to have with Korra.

He would probably start out with the standard “I am very disappointed with you” or “you should have known better," then follow it up with “I don’t want to hear any of your excuses” when Korra inevitably argued back. Finally, he would close with “you are the daughter of a well-respect Southern Water Tribe chief, you should start acting like one.”

 _That ought to straighten her out_.

But when he crossed the threshold of the entryway and was bombarded by an onslaught of affection, all thoughts of discipline dissipated from his mind.

“Dad! You’re finally home!” Meelo practically screamed as he executed a running leap into his father’s arms.

“Why were you gone so long? What were you doing? Are you secretly becoming a mad chemist turned super villain?” interrogated Ikki while she her arms around his waist.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ikki, dad would obviously be a super hero. Besides, super villains don’t have families; it’s an informal rule,” Jinora stated pragmatically as she too took a place at his side.

Pema walked into the room and approached the growing crowd. She had to work her way in between her children to give her husband a quick kiss. “Dinner is in the fridge. I can warm up a plate for you if you’d like.”

He returned her affections. “You treat me too well, my dear. I can manage it for myself.”

Looking at the small horde surrounding him, he made a quick observation.

“The pack is looking a little light today. Who are we missing?”

That’s when Korra finally decided to enter, baby on hip.

“Here we are,” she said tentatively with a shy smile.

Tenzin lowered Meelo to the floor as Korra handed him the last of his litter.

“Well, it looks like we are all accounted for. I believe a group hug is in order,” he declared pulling them all in.

The young woman took a step awkwardly to the side.

To her surprise, she was quickly wrangled into the circle.

“That means you too Korra,” said Tenzin sleepily smiling.

When they all finally left the embrace, its darkest participant was left feeling slightly confused.

Tentatively, he pulled the patriarch to the side.

“Tenzin, I’m really sorry about what happened, I…”

He cut her off.

“Listen, it has been a trying day for all of us. We can postpone talk until tomorrow. But right now I would like to enjoy some quality time with my family.”

_Family._

The word rung through her ears.

It bounced around her skull until it transformed from a mere thought into a realization.

 _He called me family. I am part of this family_.

She was snapped back from her thoughts when a crash sounded from the other room. It was almost immediately followed by high pitched accusations and argument.

“Okay, we can talk in the morning. For now, let’s go deal with those heathens you call children.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warned you and you still read it through. I hope it at least made you smile a little bit. I promise Asami and her hatred towards Korra will return soon.


	5. Shake and Make-up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Tenzin reach an agreement that may or may not get Korra killed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, sorry guys it's been a while. You try writing fanfics when you have 5 extra Samoans staying in your house. Though they kind of gave me some ideas for water tribe dynamics. Anyways, going forward I'm going to try to strive to update every few days, once or twice a week depending on my classes.  
> Also, I've tweeked a few things in previous chapters. Mainly that it was brought to my attention that it would be more likely that people with different majors would more likely have a class together earlier in college.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

 She awoke to the sound of a small sparrowkeet clinking its beak against the window pane. It sat on the ledge on the other side of the glass, cheeringly chirping away and fluffing its brilliantly green feathers. Its bright plumage stood out against the early morning darkness and reflected the fading moonlight in an almost supernatural fashion. Korra had only ever seen a prettier shade of the color once before: in Asami’s emerald eyes.

She groaned at her own thoughts.

Wearily, she rolled over onto her side and read the glowing numbers displayed on the clock face.

_5:00 AM._

_I can either get out of bed now, or I can try to sleep until my alarm. Hmm…this is a tough one._

Korra practically dove back under the covers, burying her face deep into her pillow. She pulled the sheets up over her head and attempted to return to sleep. But the bird had other plans. The winged creature continued on with its grooming, every so often looking into its reflection in the glass and pecking its own visage.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap_.

Korra flipped the pillow over on top of her head to drown out the sound.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap_.

She squeezed her eyes shut and slid further down into the bedding.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap_.

She couldn’t take it anymore. She forcefully flipped the covers off of her body and sat straight up to face the nuisance, still admiring itself in the window.

 _No wonder that thing reminded me of Asami, it’s so goddamn vain_.

With that she threw her pillow towards the annoyance and scared the offending party off. Satisfied with her victory, she sank back down into her cocoon of blankets hoping to get as much extra sleep as time would allow. Heavy lids sank over her eyes.

Not five minutes later, the wretched animal was back again and this time it had seeds. The second it tried to crack one of the hard shells against the sill, feet met floor. She shot out of bed with hurried annoyance and headed for the bathroom. Korra had accepted her fate; it was going to be an early morning.

Minutes later, she stepped outside showered, dressed, and ready to start the day before dawn. Carefully she made her way along the winding garden path, which ran from the small guest cottage in which she was staying in to the main house. It was no easy task in the pre-dawn hours; her phone’s flashlight barely cut through the misty darkness. But soon enough, she was greeted by a soft incandescence pouring out of the kitchen window. She opened the back door and left the chilly morning air behind.

“Well look who’s up early,” came a hushed voice.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Korra replied in a matching tone.

She quietly opened the fridge and began removing ingredients for a hardy omelet.

“I know the feeling.”

 “I didn’t know you got up this early. I’m usually out of the house before Pema and the kids, but I always assumed you were still upstairs.”

Tenzin gave a slight smile.

“Early morning is the about the only time that I can get anything done. I like to get up before the rest of the house for some peace and quiet.”

Korra considered his answer before halting her food preparation.

“If I’m intruding, I can get out of your hair. I have plenty of time to pick something up on the way.”

The man shook his head.

“No, no you don’t have to do that.  You are welcome company. And besides, I don’t have hair,” he said in a rare moment of humor. “Let me make you a cup of coffee.”

After she had finished cooking and he had handed her a piping hot mug, they sat together at the counter enjoying the tranquility of the morning. Quiet minutes passed without awkwardness or discomfort. Only when Korra had finished her meal did Tenzin finally speak.

“I know the past couple of years haven’t been easy for you, Korra. Not only did you have to leave your home and family behind at a young age, you had to become accustomed to a whole new city filled with foreign people and foreign ways of life. But I hope you know that over the course of that time, I have come to regard you as one of my own children.

And that is why I am so hard on you, Korra. I, like your parents who sent you here to live here with us, only want what’s best for you. We want to see you do well. We want to see you to succeed.”

Tenzin placed his hand over the darker one wrapped around a still steaming cup.

“Your parents want you to have every opportunity to make a better life for yourself.”

Silence fell over the two once more, giving Korra time to form her response.

“I know all that Tenzin, I know. And I know that it hasn’t exactly been easy on you or your family either. You already had enough kids,” Korra joked. “I am so grateful that you agreed to take me in all those years ago and for everything you and Pema have done for me.  I don’t even know if I could’ve gotten into the university without your help.

From now on, I’m gonna try to do better at home and in class. I promise, no more explosions,” Korra said with a weak smile.

They shared a mutual look of understanding.

After the moment had passed, they returned to their coffee. When the last drop was gone, the girl took the mugs to the sink. Her task complete, she prepared to leave for the day ahead.

“Korra, I have one last request before you leave.”

She paused.

“Sure thing, Tenzin. Whatever you need.”

“Please try to get along with Miss Sato. I’d prefer my classroom stay dry for the rest of the semester.”

Korra sighed, but reluctantly agreed.

“Fine. But if she ends up murdering me, my death is on your hands, old man.”

Tenzin laughed.

“Fair enough.”

Korra picked up her bag and headed out, just in time to see the sunrise. The world was bathed in a warm gold, the birds started to sing, and the air smelled like dew. She couldn’t help but be optimistic.

 _Today is going to be different. Today is going to be a good day_.

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The moment she entered the classroom, heads turned. The anger coming off of her was palpable. Steam was practically fuming out of her ears.

Neither time nor the sprinklers had doused the rage that she felt towards Korra. She was still reeling from the day before.

_I still can’t believe what happened!_

Her fists clenched at the memory.

_The second I see her face, I am going to give her a piece of my mind._

Unfortunately, Asami had little time to collect her thoughts before she came face to face with her lab partner. Korra was uncharacteristically early, already at the lab station checking the equipment. When she noticed the pale woman, she turned and gave a sheepish smile, adding a small wave that sent Asami’s stomach into knots.

_Stay focused._

The young Sato marched over, her heels clicking like a knife against a cutting board. The sound would have sent any god fearing man running for the hills. But Korra was no man.

“I’m surprised you worked up the nerve to even show up today,” Asami snapped.

“I…”

“Are you intentionally trying to ruin my academic career?”

“Wait, no…”

“What the hell is your problem? Do you want me to hate you?”

“Asami, can you just listen to me for once?!” Korra nearly shouted.

The angry woman ceased her interrogation. All eyes were on them, but Korra did not care.

“I’m sorry! I really am. For both yesterday and the semester so far. I shouldn’t have messed with you like that. I know how hard you’ve been working to do well in this class and I know that I’ve been a less than ideal partner. Honestly, I’m surprised we didn’t blow up something sooner,” Korra added in an attempt to ease some of the tension.

Asami joined the class in staring.

“I took it too far. I embarrassed you and what’s worse the both of us could have been seriously injured. From now on, I’m going to make it my mission to make sure you and I pass with flying colors. I will show up on time, set up equipment, make flashcards, whatever you need. I settle for nothing less than perfection,” she said enthusiastically. “That is if you agree to do the same.”

Asami blinked twice, speechless and dumbfounded. Out of all the scenarios she had played out in her mind, she never even considered that her partner would suck up her pride and actually apologize.

Long seconds passed before she could formulate a response.

The entire room stayed silent.

Finally, she let out a long, drawn out sigh before speaking.

“Fine. Fine, I will agree to be civil,” Asami said folding one arm across her chest and rubbing her eyebrows. “It’s about time we actually start working together.”

A broad smile spread across Korra’s face and the reluctant woman couldn’t help but noticed how it pulled slightly to the left. The imperfection was somehow…charming.

“Alrighty then, let’s start over. Partners?”

A tan hand shot straight out.

“Partners.”

Her pale hand wrapped itself around the other’s. They shook in agreement.

“Should we also seal it with a kiss?” Korra teased.

Asami forced herself not to giggle.

“Don’t test your luck.”

She couldn’t however keep the corners of her mouth from curling into an ever so slight smile.

_What am I getting myself in to?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait to get to the real romantic parts. Don't worry, it's coming up quick. I love feedback from you guys. Hoped you enjoyed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. If you like it, leave a comment and I may continue this experiment.


End file.
